I agree that the text may be impossible to decipher, either because it has lost too much of its meaning or because it is meaningless to begin with. In that case, our study of the imagery is all we've got.
The VM remains a real historical document. It appears to fill a gap in the historical record, since we know nothing like it. In that case, studying the imagery is just as important as studying any piece of history which is not yet understood.
Of course cracking the text is the ultimate objective. But as Kondrack's research shows, a big problem is that too many options remain open. If languages like Hebrew and Malay both turn up as likely candidates, a deep understanding of the imagery should be able to tip the scales in favor of one or the other. As we stand now, this understanding is lacking.
The VM remains a real historical document. It appears to fill a gap in the historical record, since we know nothing like it. In that case, studying the imagery is just as important as studying any piece of history which is not yet understood.
Of course cracking the text is the ultimate objective. But as Kondrack's research shows, a big problem is that too many options remain open. If languages like Hebrew and Malay both turn up as likely candidates, a deep understanding of the imagery should be able to tip the scales in favor of one or the other. As we stand now, this understanding is lacking.